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A
Biblical Response to Crime
UNITED CHRISTIAN ACTION
There
was a time when few of us were touched by crime. Then we
all began to know somebody who had been affected by crime.
Now each of us have our own stories of how we were stolen
from, directly threatened by crime, or worse.
At
a recent meeting, the 80-odd people in attendance were asked
to name some of the crimes they had personally experienced.
In short order, those present related house breaking, car
theft, cell phone theft, fraud, assault, hijacking, armed
robbery and murder - all experienced either by themselves
or their immediate family, recently.
At
almost any social occasion, you can find South Africans
swapping stories about a brush with death or the long-hand
of crime having stolen from them and their loved ones.
Crime
is a reality that affects each one of us. The situation
in South Africa got so bad that the government even placed
a moratorium on crime statistics, forbidding the police
to release statistics of incidents of crime in South Africa
to the voters and tax payers they are meant to represent
and serve.
THE
COST OF CRIME
According to a study by the American Management Association,
US businesses annually lose over $10billion to employee
theft, over $4billion to embezzlement, over $2,5billion
to burglary, over $2billion to shoplifting, over $1,3billion
to arson and over half a million dollars per incident of
computer fraud.
According
to the US Department of Commerce, approximately one-third
of all business failures each year can be traced to employee
theft. US law enforcement officials estimate that almost
half of all employees are guilty of stealing.
Retailers
in South Africa lose billions of Rands each year to shoplifting
and even more to theft by employees.
WHO
PAYS?
Now, obviously somebody has to pay for the costs of all
this theft. You and I and all the other customers have to
share the burden of the billions of Rands shoplifted or
stolen by employees. In addition, we have to pay for the
increased insurance premiums, for the additional security
personnel and equipment necessitated by this shoplifting
spree. It all gets added to the price tag of everything
we buy.
Of
course we also pay for the cost of crime through our taxes
and in supporting the police force, legal and judicial system
and the prison service, which is all meant to be designed
to protect us from the criminal elements of society. But
far more seriously, a vast number of South Africans are
directly suffering the effects of crime, personally.
WHAT
CAUSES CRIME?
What causes crime? I have heard University professors and
other experts speaking about how very complicated it is
to analyse the sociological and economic factors that lead
to the phenomenon of crime . etc. etc! Yet, if we turn to
the Bible, we will find a very straightforward answer: "Why
do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not
punished quickly enough." Ecclesiastes 8:11
Surely
that is the common sense answer. It is so obvious. Crime
is increasing in our society because our courts seem to
be more obsessed with the "rights" of the criminal,
but not as concerned about the rights of the victim, or
the policemen for that matter. Murderers have been released
while policemen have been prosecuted. Rapists have been
set free on amnesties, and presidential pardons, while victims
have been imprisoned for defending themselves. Right has
become wrong and wrong has become right!
"Woe
to those who call evil good and good evil, . who acquit
the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent."
Isaiah 5:20-23
THE
ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
The Bible is very clear that God has instituted civil government
as "an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."
Romans 13:4. The civil government is called to be a minister
of God's justice: "to punish those who do wrong"
1 Peter 2: 14.
The primary duties and responsibilities of civil government
are the protection of the law-abiding citizens and punishment
of law-breaking criminals. Psalm 101 reminds us that the
duty of God-honouring rulers is to destroy the wicked, to
root out evil and to protect the law-abiding - all to the
glory of God.
"Every
authority instituted among men . who are sent by Him to
punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right."
1 Peter 2:13-14
"For
rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those
who do wrong . for He is God's servant to do you good. But
if you do wrong, be afraid, for He does not bear the sword
for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer." Romans 13:3-4
CAPITAL
PUNISHMENT
For those who hold the Word of God as authoritative, capital
punishment is not a matter of choice or opinion poll, or
even of court or parliamentary decree. It is God's clear
command: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall
his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made
man." Genesis 9:6
God
instituted Capital Punishment long before the enactment
of the Mosaic Law. In fact, Capital punishment was declared
not only for Noah's time, but "for all generations
to come." Genesis 9:12
"Anyone
who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death
. if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take
him away from My altar and put him to death . anyone who
kidnaps . must be put to death." Exodus 21: 12-16
"If
anyone takes a life of a human being, he must be put to
death . whoever kills a man must be put to death . I am
the Lord your God." Leviticus 24:17-22
"Bloodshed
pollutes the land and atonement cannot be made for the land
on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the
one who shed it." Numbers 35:33
God's
Law remains in force after Calvary (Acts 25:22). As our
Lord Jesus taught: "Do not think that I have come to
abolish the Law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfil them. I tell you the truth, until Heaven
and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least
stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law."
Matthew 5:17-18
The
government "does not bear the sword for nothing. He
is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment
on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:4) Governors "are
sent by Him to punish those who do wrong." (1 Peter
2:14).
"Anyone
who kills with a sword, must himself be killed by the sword."
Revelation 13:10
By
obeying God's Law and punishing murderers with the death
penalty, a nation can cleanse itself from the guilt of innocent
blood. On the other hand, a nation that refuses to avenge
the taking of innocent human life, must share the guilt
of the murderer (Deuteronomy 21:1-9)
The
opposition of certain "human rights" groups to
the death penalty is selective. As capital punishment is
only inflicted upon murderers, one is given to wonder why
these groups are so concerned for the "rights"
of murderers? Should we not provide compassion and justice
for the many thousands of victims and families of victims
of violent crimes?
Since
the state unilaterally suspended the death penalty for murder
in South Africa (in 1989), criminals have inflicted the
death penalty on well over 200 000 innocent victims in South
Africa. Who is campaigning for their rights? And what about
the 200000 who could be murdered in the coming decade? Surely
any civilised society has the moral right and the duty to
protect itself from those who have no respect for human
life?
The
taking of a murderer's life is akin to the amputation of
a diseased limb in order to save the rest of the body. All
murder is serious and demands capital punishment. Capital
punishment is necessary for justice, for the rule of law
and for the protection of the innocent.
RESTITUTION
In cases of theft, arson or malicious damage to property,
the Bible decrees restitution. Restitution is the restoration
of a thing to its proper place or owner. It is reparation
for injury or damage to property. The Bible requires that
the restitution goes entirely to the victim of the crime.
Restitution is also required for culpable negligence.
God's
Law is clear: the criminal is held accountable and is responsible
to pay for his crime. He is to work and earn, in money or
kind, that which is required for the reparation of what
he stole, damaged or destroyed.
".
he should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then
he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft is certainly
found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or a donkey
or sheep, he shall restore double. If a man causes a field
or vineyard to be grazed and lets loose his animal, and
it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution
from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked
grain, standing grain or the field is consumed, he who kindled
the fire shall surely make restitution." Exodus 22:
3-6
The
punishment is to fit the crime. The more serious the crime,
the more severe the punishment (Deuteronomy 19:15-21).
Under
God's Law, there would be fewer criminals, fewer victims
and much less burden on the tax payer. Under our present
humanistic system, our prisons have become a higher institute
of learning for criminals, where they cross-train one another
and work out how not to get caught next time. Instead of
the victim and his relatives receiving restitution, under
our present system, the victims are forced to pay taxes
which provide food, accommodation and entertainment for
the criminals, while they languish in prison. The solution
to this intolerable situation includes a return to the Biblical
pattern of restitution.
MAKING
SURE CRIME DOESN'T PAY
There are also some practical, common sense measures which
could ensure that crime does not continue to pay in South
Africa.
1.
Repeat offenders should be made to complete the rest of
their sentence before beginning their second sentence.
2.
No bail should be available for repeat offenders.
3.
All violent criminals should bear the full responsibility
for their actions, whether or not they were deemed mentally
competent, drunk or of diminished capacity, or under the
influence of drugs (Numbers 35:16-21).
4.
Penalties for violent youths should be the same as for adults.
Those who commit adult crimes such as rape and murder should
suffer adult consequences (Ezekiel 18:10-13).
5.
A return to the Biblical principles of execution for all
first degree murder, rape and kidnapping; and restitution
for all theft of, or damage to, property. (Exodus 21 and
22).
6.
As it is impossible for any police force to guarantee the
safety of every citizen, no hindrance should be placed upon
the right of law-abiding citizens to obtain and use firearms
for self-defence. As the vast majority of violent crimes
are committed by criminals by unlicensed weapons, it is
clear that restricting the rights of citizens to own, carry
and use licensed firearms, cannot prevent violent crime.
Disarming the potential victims of crime can only serve
the purposes of the criminal. We therefore must reaffirm
the Biblical rights and responsibilities of citizens to
obtain, own, carry and use firearms for personal or family
defence. (Exodus 22:2; Nehemiah 4:14; 1 Timothy 5:8).
It
is time for the civil authorities to take consistent, strong
and resolute action to protect law-abiding citizens and
to punish law-breaking criminals.
"Administer
justice every morning; rescue from the hand of his oppressor
the one who has been robbed, or My wrath will break out
and burn like fire because the evil you have done - burn
with no-one to quench it." Jeremiah 21:12
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